Process of separating zinc-blende by flotation.



PATENTEP' AUG. 27, 1907. A. J. P. DB BAVAY. M PROCESS OF SEPARATING ZINC BLENDE'B'Y PLOT'ATI APPLIOATION FILED DEU.19,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ad (iii '03s Bar/a r I PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907.

A. J. I, DE BAVAY. ss OP SEPARATING ZINC BLENDBBY PLOTATION.

PROCE APPLICATION PIYLED 1120.19, 190

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MQ MIZE (27213 UNITED STATES PATENT oniuos.

AUGUSTE JOSEPH FRANCOIS DE lBAVAY, OF *KEW, VIOTORIA,, AUSTRALIA XBOCESS OF SEPARATING ZINC-BLENDE BY ELOTATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed December 19,1904. Serial llo. 237,656.

This invention consists in an improved process for separating zinc blende particles from ores, tailings and concentrates, in which they are found or with which they are associated. I observed that with ores, tailings or concentrates which were apparently suitable for treatment, an unsatisfactory separation was obtained and this I discovered was caused by the surface of the zinc blende particles being coated or associated with carbonates or other substances.

The separation is effected by first freeing the zinc blende particles from the carbonates and other impurities found associated with, or coating them, by

submitting the ore tailings or concentrates in a pulration and afterwards by thoroughly washing out the said impurities and the slimes and afterwards distributing the pulverized ore tailings or concentrates with water evenly upon the upper end of an inclined table the lower part of which delivers to a trough or well wherein the,zinc blende particles are readily separated from the remaining particles by the zinc blende floating over the water surface to a suitable trough, while the remaining substances sink in the water and may either be collected therein or be carried off for further similar treatment.

The term water is used to mean and include water or other liquid on which particles of zinc blende are capable of flotation. The ore (which term is here that it willpass through a mesh of from about iq to 8U to the lineal inch, and the sifted ore must be freed from the carbonates and other impurities, as above indicated, before the separation of zinc blende by" flotation can be advantageously effected. p I

' I have found that the sulfide of zinc, lead and silver as they exist in the ore are generally coated with carbonates of zinc, iron and manganese and other mat ter and that it is impossible to separate by flotation in such a condition more than a very small proportion of the zinc blende particles iron the gangue and even then the floatable portion contains a large proportion of the gangue, and hence it becomes necessary to treat the ore as herein described to prepare it for separation by flotation.

In working this process the ore is first sifted, as hereinbefore described, then it is delivered to a vessel containing water about equal in quantity to the ore bulk and such vessel is fitted with stirring appliances and preferably, if gas is to be used, should be capable I of being hermetically sealed after the charge is within the vessel. The ore is then treated either- (a) By soaking the ore in a weak solution of carbonate of 'ammonia, bicarbonate of soda, or bi-carbonate of potash,

say from 1/2 to 10 per cent solution and afterwards (b) By passwashing out as hereinbefore described. ing carbonic acid gas through the pulverized wet ore, either in an open or preferably a closed vessel and then washing out as hereinbefore described; (0) By the use of any other re-agent which will bring about the separation of the coating or covering from the zinc blende particles and washing out as hercinbefore described. (d) By trituration or friction and washing out as hereinbefore described.

The strength of solution required, the sufficiency of the washing out, the quantity of carbonic acid gas to be used, the time required for the application of such solution or gas, and the extent of friction or trituration necessary can be easily ascertained by a few trials, but I have found that a one per cent solution or an equivalent quantity of carbonic acid gas even though not under pressure, especially if assisted by agitation or stirring, will in the space of about an hour effect the required cleansing. One simple method of ascertain ing when-the ore is ready for separationby flotation is to take a small sample, place it in a flat bottomed plate; pour a little water on it, hold the plate at an angle of 45, or thereabouts, to the horizontal, when, if the ore is ready for further treatment, particles of zinc blende such stream being just sufiicientto carry the ore in such thin fihn and to carry the floating particles over the surface of the water in. such trough or well and into a suitablereceptacle. Further such thin film of ore.

delivered onto the surface ofthe' water in such a manner and direction as to allow the particles of zinc blende to float and all or most of the remaining particles to sink therein and be collected in such trough or well. I find that when this process is used a large proportion of the zinc blende can be floated over the surface of the water in such trough or well and can be collected in one receptacle, while the whole or almost the whole of the sand and other substances with which it is associated sink in the'water in such well whence they are collected. In practice as a result of my process a very rich concentrate has been produced containing as much as 53.2 per cent of zinc. 7

If the separation desired (which can be determined by considering the assay value of the ore) be not effected byfthe first operation it is obvious that the process can and should be repeated, that is to. say, the

sand and othersubstan'ces which have sunk, as aforesaid, in the water in such well should be again treated by this process until considerations of expense render further treatment undesirable.

An apparatus suitable for my flotation process will be found described in my application for Fatent No. 237,585, filed December 19, 1904. In order that the present process may be clearly understood I will briefly describe such apparatus herein in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of an apparatus constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2. is afront view of the same; Fig. 3 is a'broken sectional view of a portion of a trough, showing the application of the adjustable lip thereto; and, Fig. 4; is a broken detail view of said lip.

The apparatus consists, in the first place, of an inclined surface or table.A suitably erected, supported and constructed so that it can be adjusted at an angle to the horizontal or, if fixed, supported at an angle of about 45 thereto, somewhat as shown, and preferably made of gir' covered with metal or other nonabsorbent material and if desired divided by division ribs as (1 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2) into a series of races. At the upper end of the apparatus is a feed pipe B having'perforations b along its lower side and having a rotary worm B therein, or the feed device may be in the form of a feed hopper or bin provided with an adjustable delivery nozzle or nozzles, or other feed device. From said perforated pipe B the ore in a pulverized condition and saturated with water is fed in a regulated quantity supplied from a cistern as G onto the inclined surface or table A in hin paste.

1) is a pipe fed from any convenient so 'ce and provided with nozzles d for supplying a small ream o'fwater sufficient to carry the ore down the inclined surface table in a thin fir brushes or distributers The lower part such inclined surface table It dips into or M iinates in a ued a trough,

to the level of an overflow lip or ledge F side or part 0.6 in front of the incl; face, and outside aid ledge is a gutter G at a downward inclination from such tro able bin,- the upper end of said gutter be low the levelof the ledge of F to flow therefrom, while said i form of a sliding plats sccu: adjustable in order that tne trough may be regulated to an...

urged at the table or surde in the s f to be water in the i1 extent. in the said J such being aided by transverse trough F under the lower end of the inclined table A the front part of an endless traveling belt or table H is arranged, which table is carried on rollers h in such a manner as to have two inclined planes, one leading from under the water at front of trough to over its back edge, and the other plane leading down therefrom to deliver the materials aided by a stream or spray of Water from a pipe H to the inclined table A of another apparatus of the same kind, the construction being repeated as often as may be necessary or desirableand erected so that the whole will work continuously when once started: In Fig. l the traveling belts H are connected by a crossed belt h on pulleys l1 or two of the roller spindles, and to one of which pulleys motion is imparted.

lf continuous action is desired the befoi'ementioned cisterns G should be arranged in pairs, as shown in Fig. 2, each provided with stir or agitators C carried on a central vertical spindle C to which rotary motion i'sirnparted and also they are furnished with man hole or' feed doors C and pressure gages C.

C are gas supply, and C gas outlet pipes, 0 water sup-' ply, and C water outlet pipes from cisterns, and by the arrangement of gas pipes shown, the gas, after being utilized in the one cistern, may be fed to the other cistern.

The transverse brushes or distributers E work at one end in guides E whiletheir other ends are carried by the pivoted levers E the outer arm of each being attached by a rod E to an eccentric E on one of the rotary shafts of apparatus.

In order to effect the separation required an ore, which, either with or without washing, sifting or preliminary chemical treatment, possesses particles capable of flotation which it is desired to separate, and which washing'and chemical treatment may be done in the cisterns O, is fed from the said cisterns into the perforatpd pipe B and from thence onto the said inclined surface or table A in a thin pasty condition and is then carried down bya small stream of water from the said pipe D in a thin film, which is evenly distributed by the trans verse brushes E, to the surface of the water-in the said trough F in the manner and direction favorable tothe flotation of such particles thereof as are capable of flotation, and which it is desired to separate, notwithstanding that many or all of such particles may be of greater specific gravity than the water or other liquid. Most of such particles are carried along the surface of the water in the trough F into the gutter 'G leading away therefrom and thence into a bin at the end thereof to be dealt with as may be desired/ .The residue or remainder of the particles sinks in the water in the said trough F to the said endlesstraveling belt H, which carries it upwards andover the back edge of trough and delivers it aided by a stream ofwater: from pip E1 to another inclined table A at a lower level, and so on :ted, a en. the ult hate remerit of the endle breadth of the trough should he suflicient to enable all or nearly all the particles not capable of flotation or which it is not desired to separate to sink, and be delivered to the next inclined surface or table. The ascer-'-' 1. A process at separating zinc hlende particles from ores, tailings, and concentrates in a pulverized condition.

comprising the freeing of zinc hlende' particles from the carbonates and other impurities by first submitting the material to the action or .a chemical re-agent, and then discharging the material in a film-like manner into a body of water by delivering the material in a thin pasty condi- 1 tion in the presence '0! a stream of water upon tan-inclined surface extending to said body or water, and'then separating the zinc biende floating on .the water from the remaining ores, tallings, or concentrates which precipitate in the body of water.

2. A process of separating zinc blende particles from ores, tallings, and concentrates in a pulverized condition comprislng the freeing of zinc hlende particles from the carbonates and other impurities by first submitting the material to the action of a chemical re-agent, and then discharging the material in a fllm like manner into a body of waterby delivering the material in a thin pasty condition in the presence ot a stream 01 water-upon an inclined surface extending to saidbody of water, simultaneously with the travel 0! the material upon said inclined surface subjecting the material to a thinning out action, and then separating the zinc blende floating on the water from the remaining ores, tallings or concentrates which precipitate in the body'ot water.

in witness whereot l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTE JOSEPH FRANQOIS DE BAVAY.

Witnesses: I

C. HARTLETT, Bsnnmoron BODYCOMB. 

